According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, Arsenal have made an opening transfer bid to sign Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, who is also on the radar of Chelsea.
The Gunners have earmarked the Italian star to bolster their defensive department and Corriere dello Sport today claim that they have made an opening proposal worth £40 million for his signature.
However, Bologna are not convinced by the offer on the table. They are looking for at least £42.4 million for their prized asset and are hoping for an auction with Chelsea also deemed to be interested in him.
The source add that Calafiori’s former club Basel are entitled to 40% of the profit from the sale.
Versatile star
Calafiori built his reputation during his debut campaign at Bologna. He was fabulous from the central defensive position for the Serie A outfit and also made a handful number of appearances from left-back.
The Italian grabbed the attention with his superb distribution skills as well as his defensive attributes. The 22-year-old won 71.4% of his aerial challenges which was the 5th highest in the Italian top-flight.
He was also in the top 10 for ball recoveries in Serie A with 194. Calafiori carried over his form to Euro 2024 with Italy where he made the headlines for his fantastic assist in the dying seconds against Croatia.
The defender did not feature during the round of 16 clash against Switzerland due to suspension. This proved costly for the Azzurri who struggled to control the game and eventually suffered a 2-0 defeat.
Arsenal are now determined to land his signature. Calafiori would be perfect for them for the left-back position where they looked vulnerable with the constant change of personnel in the past season.
Calafiori was predominantly a left-back during his development at Basel before moving back to Italy. The Gunners should be confident of beating Chelsea with their recent progress and Champions League qualification.
